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Sunday, August 24, 2008

a GREAT day in the village...

Two years ago this month I had just started chemotherapy and was recovering from a major surgery. I felt extremely blessed to be alive but afraid that my life may be cut short by cancer.

For one beautiful sunny day in August all my fears were put on the back burner when my village came together like they had never done before. It was amazing. I cannot use words to describe what those 9 hours on August, 26, 2006 meant to my family.

Last year, the event continued with a new respect for the beautiful richness and amazing benefit of togetherness that we received from just spending the day together with our neighbors. It was wonderful. Instead of one family, the whole community reaped the rewards.

This year at the 2nd annual Spud Fest, we actually improved upon a good thing. I didn't think that was even possible.

It began early in the morning with a good healthy run/walk and some potato digging. The kids rode bikes and lawnmowers for prizes and the parade entertained us and satisfied our sweet tooth beyond belief. There was a horse drawn trailer and kiddie train rides all afternoon. There was inflatables and cotton candy. The kids could bob for potatoes, get temporary tattoos or toss a potato in a bucket for prizes. There was a bean bag tourney and kickball games. There was a concession stand with yummies and booths selling treasures and a silent auction to peruse. There was a dunk tank and a cow pie bingo game. There was an evening catered meal, car show and live band. There was enough to keep a family busy all day and into the night dancing and singing and eating and drinking to our soul's delight. All these amazing coordinated events couldn't even touch the most amazing part of the whole day. Fellowship with your neighbors, family and friends. You can't put a price on the value of that. I wouldn't have missed it for anything.

Did you miss out? Put it on your calendar for next year.com Last weekend in August, 2009. Come on over, we'd love to have you. It is too valuable an experience to miss. Maybe next year I won't be pregnant or going through chemotherapy. I can't even imagine how much more fun it could possibly be. Daddy in the dunk tank.Taking a chance to dunk daddy.BULLSEYE!

August 2008 - cancer free and two babies later WE are the ones who are ridiculously blessed.

FREECYCLE

Billy Graham's Prayer for our Nation

'Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem... We have abused power and called it politics... We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!'Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,' before he died and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One nation under God…'